Anvil unit for rivet setting machines



Dec. 23, 1947. T, J, DOYLE 2,433,103

ANVIL UNIT FOR RIVET SETTING MACHINES Filed Sept. 4, I946 LW'EN TOR.

7/7 JD BY We 6 J gw Arroewgy Patented Dec. 23, 1947 ANVIL UNIT FOR RIVETSETTING MACHINES Thomas J. Doyle, Milton, Mass, assignor to TubularRivet and Stud Company, Quincy, Mass., a corporation of MassachusettsApplication September 4, 1946, Serial No. 694,741

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a rivet setting machine and particularly to ananvil for a hollow rivet setting machine.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel and improved anvil ofthe character specified having separable portions adapted to be alignedin accurate registration during the setting operation and in whichprovision is made for adjusting the separable portions in accuratealignment and for loclnng the portions in their adjusted position in asimple, efficient and superior manner.

With this general object in View and such others as may hereinafterappear, the invention consists in the rivet setting anvil hereinafterdescribed and particularly defined in'the claims at the end of thisspecification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention,Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a typical rivet setting machine embodyingthe present invention; Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of an anvilembodying the present invention shown in a position preparatory tosetting a rivet to secure together the parts assembled on the anvil;Fig. 3 is a similar view with the anvil shown in its rivet settingposition; Figs. 4 and 5 are top and bottom end views..respectively ofthe present anvil; and Fig. 6 is a greatly enlarged view of theseparable portions of the anvil in their aligned and rivet settingposition of operation.

In general, the present invention contemplates a novel and improvedconstruction of a hollow rivet setting anvil having separable portionsincluding a body portion and a spring pressed pin portion, each beingprovided with cooperating surfaces which when fitted in proper alignmentform a continuous curved or concave surface against which the end of thehollow rivet engages and which effects flow of the metal outwardly toset the rivet. In operation, the spring pressed pin is normally extendedbeyond the body portion for the purpose of receiving the parts to besecured in assembled relation, and, upon engagement of the hollow rivetwith the extended pin, the latter is depressed into a position tocooperate with the body portion of the anvil to perform the rivetsetting operation.

In practice it is desirable that the component parts of the separablerivet setting members of the anvil be in absolute alignment to form acontinuous curved surface in order to obtain an efficient rivet settingoperation without the development of obstructions to the flow of themetal of the tubular end of the rivet as it is being set 2 up. Forexample, in the event that the curved surface of the spring pressed pinmember is slightly higher than the curved surface of the body portion,the metal will flow outwardly to an extent such as to split the metaland form cracks in the edges of the spread out metal. On the other hand,in the event that the curved surface of the body portion of the anvil isslightly higher than the curved surface of the end of the. pin, a jamvwill occur and effect outward buckling of the hollow end of the rivetand in some instances this may effect breakage of the parts beingassembled. In order to avoid these and other difficulties flowing fromthe development of such obstructions, the present invention contemplatesa novel construction of anvil wherein provision is made for enabling thecomponent members of the anvil to be readily and accurately collocatedor adjusted and locked in a position in which a continuous smoothcurved. die setting surface is obtained.

Referring now to the drawings, the invention is herein illustrated asembodied in a rivet setting machine shown in Fig. 1, and which ingeneral comprises an anvil indicated at It and a vertically reciprocaldriver l2 arranged to cooperate with the anvil to efiect setting of the,

hollow rivet I 4 to secure together the parts to be assembled. Thedriver [2 may be actuated through any usual or preferred drivingmechanism including a one revolution clutch, not shown, and throughlinkage indicated generally at 6 to effect vertical reciprocation of thedriver. A supply of rivets is maintained in a feed chute l8 arranged torelease a rivet each cycle of operation into a position between a pairof yieldably mounted jaws 20 arranged to hold the rivet in alignmentwith the driver and the anvil. In operation, the holding jaws 20 arearranged to move with the driver for a part of the downward stroke untilthe hollow end of the rivet engages the anvil whereupon the jaws come torest. The end of the driver I2 is preferably provided with a concavesurface arranged to fit the convex surface of the head of the rivet.Continued movement of the driver in engagement with the head of therivet causes the yieldably mounted jaws to spread apart to release therivet from the jaws and permit the driver in cooperation with the anvilto efiect setting of the rivet. As shown in Fig. 1, the anvil unit lllmay be stationarily supported in a threaded holding member 22 adjustablycarried in a bracket 24 forming a part of the machine frame. A look nut26 may be provided for locking the holding member 22 in its adjustedposition in accordance with the stroke of the driver and length of therivet being set. A set screw 28 may also be provided to hold the anvilin the member 22.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, the rivet setting anvil forming thesubject matter of the present invention comprises generally acylindrical body portion 30 and a spring pressed pin 32 slidinglymounted in the body portion 30. The upper end of each member 30, 32 isprovided with component portions 34, 36 respectively of the annularconcave rivet setting surface.

The spring pressed pin 32 is normally extended beyond the upper end ofthe body portion, as shown in Fig. 2, to receive thereon the parts' tobe secured together in assembled relation, a typical assembly beingherein shown as comprising a radio part including a metal washer 38',ceramic insulating ring 40 and a metallic connecting element 42. Inoperation, the spring pressed pin 32 is arranged to be depressed toalign the upper end thereof with the upper end of the body portion sothat the component portions 34, 36 form a continuous unitary rivetsetting surface to per-' form the setting operation.

In accordance with the present invention provision is made for assuringcorrect alignment of the component surfaces 34, 36 in order to preventthe development of obstructions to the flow of the metal and, as hereinshown, the body portion 30 is provided with an enlarged bore 44 threadedat its lower end to receive a stop screw or collocating member 46. Thepin 32 is provided with a collared portion 48 which bears against theend 50 of the bore to limit the upward extension of the pin, and, a coilspring 52 interposed between the underside of the collared portion 48and the top of the stop screw 46 retains the pin in its extendedposition until the pin is engaged by a rivet l4 being driven by thedriver l2 into setting position, as shown in Fig. 3.

The slidably mounted pin 32 is provided with a depending portion 54extending beyond the col-' lared portion 48 and which extends into theupper end of the spring 52. Correct alignment of the surfaces 34, 36 inthe depressed position of the pin 32'is attained by the engagement ofthe lower end 56 of the depending portion with the upper end of the stopscrew 46.

In practice, the adjustment of the stop screw may be easily and quicklyeffected by a wrench insertable into the hexagonal opening 58 formed inthe end thereof, and, while the pin is held in its depressed position,the screw 46 is adjusted until the component surfaces 34, 36- are inexact alignment.

In order to lock the anvil unit in its adjusted position, a lock nut 6i]is provided which cooper ates with the lower end of the screw 46 and,when tightened into locking position, engages the end surface 62 of thebody portion 30, as illustrated. The lock nut 66 may and preferably willbecylindrical and of the same diameter as the body portion 3i] to formin effect a continuation thereof, and, the lock nut may be set intolocking position by a spanner wrench engageable with the" slots 64provided in the end ofthe nut.

From the above description it will be seen that the present rivetsetting anvil is constructed of separable portions, each portion beingprovided with surfaces arranged to cooperate to form the die surfaceduring the rivet setting operation and that correct alignment of the diesurfaces may be attained by a stop member threaded into one of? saidportions and engageable" with the other of said separable portions andwhen both are moved into rivet setting position with the surfaces inalignment, provision is made for locking the stop member in its adjustedposition. From the foregoing description it will be observed that thethreaded stop member 46 provides means whereby the component diesurfaces may be collocated into a single predetermined registered andaligned position from positions either substantially above orsubstantially below such collocated position. As best shown in Fig. 6,the separable die sections 34, 36 formed on the body 30 and pin 32respectively may comprise an annular concave surface. The pin beingpreferably of cylindrical shape is movable relative to the body portionor the anvil into and from die setting position, and in the latterposition the surfaces 34, 36 align to form in the illustrated structurean annular die surface of semi-circular shape.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been hereinillustrated and described it will be understood that the invention maybe embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A rivet setting anvil unit of the character described, comprising: abody portion and a pin portion slidably movable in said body portion,said pin portion having an abutment area adapted to be engaged by aspring, each portion having one component of a die surface, saidportions being adapted to be aligned in a single predeterminedregistered relation so that the component die surfaces form a completerivet setting die surface during a rivet setting operation; adjustingmeans for collocating the component die surface on said pin portion froma position either substantially below or substantiall above thecomponent die surface on said body portion with the component diesurface on said body portion when said pin portion is in its fullydepressed position, said adjusting means comprising acylindrical memberhaving an external thread and having an upper end face forming anabutment to be engaged by the lower end of said pin portion to limit themovement of said pin portion into said body portion; a compressionspring disposed in said body portion between said cylindrical member andsaid abutment surface on said pin portion, said body portion having aninternally threaded portion engaged by the external threads on saidcylindrical member, said cylindrical member having threads extendingbeyond the lower end of said body portion; and a lock nut on the threadsof said extended portion of said cylindrical member engaging with saidlower end of said body portion for locking said cylindrical member insaid single predetermined position relative to said body portion tomaintain said component die surfaces in alignment during successiverivet setting operations.

2. A rivet setting anvil unit of the character described, comprising: abody portion and a pin portion slidab-ly movable in said body portion,said pin portion having an abutment area adapted to be engaged by aspring, each portion having one component of a die surface, saidportions being adapted to be aligned in a single predeterminedregistered relation so that the component die surfaces form a completerivet setting die surface during arivet setting operation; adjustingmeans for collocating the component die surface on said pin portion to aposition in alignment with thecomponent die surface on said body portionwhen said pin portion is in its fully depressed position, said adjustingmeans comprising a threaded element having an abutment surfaceengageable by the lower end of said pin portion and being axiallyadjustable relative to said body portion for effecting alignment of thecomponent die surface of said pin portion with the component die surfaceof said body portion from a position either substantially below orsubstantially above the component die surface on said body portion sothat said component die surfaces are in alignment when said pin is inits fully depressed position in engagement with said abutment surface; acompression spring disposed in said body portion between said threadedelement and said abutment area; and locking means engaging said bodyportion and said threaded element for locking the threaded elementagainst inadvertent rotation with respect to said body portion, wherebyto maintain said component die surfaces in alignment during successiverivet setting operations.

3. A rivet setting anvil unit of the character described, comprising: abody portion and a pin portion slidably movable in said body portion,said pin having an abutment area adapted to be engaged by a spring, eachportion having one component of a die surface, said portions beingadapted to be aligned in a single predetermined registered relation sothat the component die surfaces form a complete rivet setting diesurface during a rivet setting operation; means for collocating thecomponent die surface on said pin portion from a position eithersubstantially below or substantially above the component die surface onsaid body portion with the component die surface on said body portionwhen said pin portion is in its fully depressed position; a compressionspring disposed in said body portion between said collocating means andsaid abutment area; and means for locking said collocating means in aposition to maintain said component die surfaces in alignment duringsuccessive rivet setting operations.

THOMAS J. DOYLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 556,367 Nolan Mar. 17, 18961,182,397 Maenche May 9, 1916 1,507,600 Hallam Sept. 9, 1924 1,716,852Havener June 11, 1929

